Special award to be presented at the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League draw ceremony in Monaco
Cristiano Ronaldo, the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League of all time, will receive a special accolade from UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin in acknowledgement of his extraordinary impact in the most prestigious tournament in the world.
Ronaldo’s outstanding accomplishments in Europe’s leading club competition, achieved over a span of more than 18 years, will be acknowledged during the inaugural draw ceremony for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group stage. This ceremony is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 29th August at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
The former Sporting Clube de Portugal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus forward has netted 140 goals in the UEFA Champions League over 183 appearances. He currently holds an 11-goal lead over Lionel Messi and a 46-goal advantage over Robert Lewandowski, securing the top spot on the scoring charts.
Aleksander Čeferin, the UEFA President, described Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the brightest stars in the constellation of the UEFA Champions League. He praised Ronaldo’s exceptional goal-scoring accomplishments in the tournament, predicting that they will endure throughout time and present an extraordinary challenge for future generations to overcome. Ronaldo’s unwavering commitment to both team and individual success is evident in his sustained brilliance at the highest level of competition. Over the span of more than two decades, he has continuously evolved and perfected his game, all while maintaining a youthful enthusiasm for finding the back of the net and celebrating his achievements. The qualities of professionalism, work ethic, dedication, and ability to shine on the grandest stage exhibited by Ronaldo should serve as inspiration for football players worldwide to strive towards.
Ronaldo has completed seven different seasons in the Champions League as the top scorer, which is more than any other player. This spans from his eight goals during Manchester United’s successful 2007/08 campaign to his impressive 15-goal performance when Real Madrid secured their third consecutive title in 2017/18. Additionally, Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in a single Champions League season, having netted 17 times in 2013/14, including a crucial goal in the final against Atlético Madrid.
The Portugal forward has won the competition once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid, making him the first player in the history of the competition to achieve five victories. Furthermore, Ronaldo is the only player to date who has scored in three different UEFA Champions League finals, namely in 2008, 2014, and 2017.
In addition to these achievements, Ronaldo also holds the record for the longest scoring streak in the Champions League. He scored in eleven consecutive matches from June 2017 to April 2018. Moreover, Ronaldo has an incredible tally of eight hat-tricks in the Champions League.
The recipient of numerous Ballon d’Or and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards is also the highest scorer in all UEFA club competitions, with 145 goals in 197 appearances. Additionally, this player holds the record for the most goals in men’s international football, having scored 130 goals in 212 appearances.
CRISTIANO RONALDO’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CAREER IN NUMBERS Appearances: 183 Goals: 140 Wins: 5 (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) Top scorer: 7 times (2007/08, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15*, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18) Most goals in a single season: 17 (2013/14) Longest scoring streak: 11 games
